Get off to a rousing start by assembling your own antipasti platter from among meats (coppa, bresaola, prosciutto di parma), vegetables (braised fennel, roast beets, assortment of olives with wild fennel flowers), and cheeses (Gorgonzola, Taleggio), presented upon gorgeously garnished wooden boards, ideal for sharing over a quartino or two or three or four of wine. Sardinian chef and co-owner Pietro Vardeu has a bit of Mario Batali in him -- less dependent on strange animal parts but equally reliant on the smoke-imbued majesty brought to bear (and boar) by a roaring wood-fired oven. Try the branzino baked in salt crust, a Venetian recipe, brings pristine, juicy, mildly flavored white fillets -- delicious when kissed with a squeeze of lemon. Roasted whole octopus, braised rabbits and leeks, sweet ravioli drizzled with chestnut honey for dessert - yikes, this food is good.

Related Stories (18)

Once a month, Bruno Ponce and his three-person team toil for endless hours twisting out thousands of pounds of smooth orbs and knots of fresh mozzarella. They’re destined for Marky’s Gourmet on NE 79th Street, where they’ll be packe...

Sardinia Enoteca Ristorante is the sleeper staple for rustic Italian in South Beach. Since 2006, the place has served up some of the best bowls of pasta in Miami at reasonable prices. The restaurant, consistently lively, was put int...

Miami Spice's can't miss menus have two things in common: value and creativity. They offer interesting ingredients in combinations that make you eager to learn more and share them with friends. They're also a steal. You're looking f...

A colleague tipped us off to the Italian mojito at Sardinia Enoteca Ristorante in South Beach. The cocktail muddles tomato instead of lime and uses basil instead of mint. It also substitutes vodka for rum. Quite simply, the term "mo...